Grille



Sept. 15, 1953 R. 1.. LEIGH GRILLE Filed Dec. 25, 1947 INVENTOR. faa/v4. Jag/7 /7 /a/wm7 Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRILLE Robert L. Leigh, Coopersville, Mich, assignor to Air- Control-Products, Inc., Coopersville, Mich.

5. Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in registers or grilles.

The main objects: of this invention are:

First, to provide an improved register or grille well adapted for use inheating and ventilating systems and the like which may be formed ofsheet metal and at the-same time is. strong and rigid, is attractive inappearance and has the appearance of strength and'rigidity although madeof light stock.

Second, to provide a. register or grille having these advantages whichmay be very economically produced and is light in weight.

Other objects and advantages pertaining to the details and economies ofmy inventionwill be apparent from a consideration of the followindescription and claims.

A structure embodying the features of the invention is clearlyillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a register embodying myinvention, parts being broken away and other parts being'shown insection to more fully disclose structure.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary viewin section on a line correspondingto 2'2 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View on aline corresponding to line 33 of Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view partially in section illustrating amodifiediform or embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary planview of the blank from which the front orfaceportion of the register of Fig. 1 is formed and illustrating theslitting of the blank and the bending lines thereof.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the blank from which themodification of Fig. 4' is formed with the slitting and folding linesthereof indicated.

While the embodiments illustrated. are designed as fioor registers itshould be understood that the structure may be adapted as wall registersor as grilles for other purposes. Referring to the embodimentillustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and .5, I designates a face unit or membercomprising a front border frame 2 and crossing sets of grid bars 3 and 4formed integrally with the border frame member 2. These grid bars areco-planar and are integrally connected at their crossing points 5. Thefront border frame member 2 desirably has a downwardly offset outer edgeportion 6 providing a shoulder l spaced from the edge.

I provide a rear border frame member designated generally by the numeral8 this being of angular cross section and also formed of sheet metalstock. This rear border frame member is disposed with its angle facingoutwardly and rearwardly and with its upper outwardly projecting arms 9disposed against the under side of the front border frame member 2 andfixedly secured thereto desirably by spot welding, as in dicated at Ill.

The outer edges of the arms 9, abut the shoulder 1 of the front borderframe member. The rearborder frame member is so proportioned that itsrearwardly projecting arms H are flush with the inner edges of the frontborder frame. The rearwardly projecting arms H of the rear border frameare provided with slots i2 adapted to receive the tongues or tenons ison the ends of the flat truss bars [4 which are disposed below and insupporting relation to the grid bars 3. These truss bars M are desirablyformed as sheet metal stampings and are desirably of the same width asthe rearwardly projecting arms i i of therear border frame member.

The reaches I5 of the other set of grid bars, that is, the bars 4, areprovided with rearwardly projecting flanges it which reinforce the barst and also add to the appearance of weight as well. as strength. Theseflanges It in the preferred embodiment are preferably of the same widthas the openings l1 between the reaches of the grid bars 4. Inmanufacturing, the sheet of metal is slit on the lines [8 (see Fig. 5)and the flange portions l6 turned downwardly on the dotted lines [9. Inthe embodiment shown in Fig. 4 the reaches 45 of the grid bars 4 areprovided with downturned flanges 2!] on both edges thereof. In themanufacture of that structure the stock is slit at 2| and turneddownwardly on the dotted lines 22. Otherwise the structure is the sameas that of the preferred embodiment.

In both structures the parts may be formed of quite light, sheet metalstock but when they are assembled as illustrated, a strong and rigidregister or grill: results and one which has an attractive appearanceboth from the standpoint of design and the suggestion or appearance ofstrength and weight.

I have illustrated and described my invention in two commerciallydesirable embodiments thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate ordescribe other embodiments or adaptations as it is believed that thisdisclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt myinvention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a grille, the combination of a face member comprising a frontborder frame member and crossed sets of spaced parallel grid bars formedintegrally with the border frame member and integrally joined at theircrossing points, a rear border frame member of angle section disposed onthe rear side of the front border frame member with its angle facingrearwardly and outwardly, and with its outwardly projecting arms againstthe rear side of the front border frame member and fixedly securedthereto, and with its rearwardly projecting arms aligned with the inneredges of the front border frame member, one pair of opposed arms of saidrearwardly projecting arms having vertical slots therein aligned withone set of grid bars, and truss bars disposed edgewise below such set ofgrid bars in supporting relation to the rear sides thereof and providedwith tongues supportingly engaged in said slots in said pair of opposedarms, the reaches of the other set of grid bars having rearwardly turnedflanges on at least one edge thereof, another pair of opposed arms ofsaid rearwardly on another pair of opposite sides of said auxiliaryprojecting arms closing the space between the outer ends of therearwardly turned flanges at the ends of said other set of grid bars,the front border frame having rearward offsets therein engaging theouter edges of the outwardly projecting arms of the rear border frame.

2. In a grille, the combination of a face member comprising a frontborder frame member and crossed sets of spaced parallel grid bars formedintegrally with the border frame member and integrally joined at theircrossing points, a rear border frame member of angle section disposed onthe rear side of the front border frame member with its angle facingrearwardly and outwardly, and with its outwardly projecting arms againstthe rear side of the front border frame member and fixedly securedthereto, one pair of opposed rearwardly projecting arms of said rearborder frame member having vertical slots therein aligned with one setof grid bars, and truss bar disposed edgewise below such set of gridbars in supporting relation to the rear sides thereof and provided withtongues supportingly engaged in said slots in said pair of opposed arms,the reaches of the other set of grid bars having rearwardly turnedflanges on at least one edge thereof, another pair of opposed rearwardlyprojecting arms of said rear border frame member closing the spacebetween the outer ends of the rearwardly turned flanges at the ends ofsaid other set of grid bars.

3. In a grille, the combination of a front border frame member of sheetmetal and crossing sets of spaced co-planar parallel grid bars formedintegrally therewith and integrally united at their crossing points, anauxiliary member border frame disposed on the rear side of said frontborder frame member and fixedly secured thereto and having a rearwardlyprojecting flange extending rearwardly from the inner edges of theborder frame closing the space between the outer ends of the flanges atthe ends of said other set of grid bars.

4. In a grille, the combination of a front border frame member of sheetmetal and crossing sets of spaced parallel grid bars formed integrallytherewith and integrally united at their crossing points, an auxiliarymember border frame disposed on the rear side of said front border framemember and flxedly secured thereto and having pairs of opposedrearwardly projecting flanges; one pair of opposed flanges on saidauxiliary border frame being slotted in alignment with one set of gridbars, and truss bars disposed below such set of grid bars in supportingrelation thereto and having their ends engaging said slots, the reachesof the other set of grid bars having rearwardly projecting integralflanges on one edge thereof of a width corresponding to the width of theopenings between the grid bars of such set, another pair of opposedflanges on said auxiliary border frame closing the space between theouter ends of the grid bar flanges at the ends of said other set of gridbars.

5. In a grille, the combination of a front border frame member of sheetmetal and crossing sets of spaced parallel grid bars formed integrallytherewith and integrally united at their crossing points, an auxiliarymember border frame disposed on the rear side of said front border framemember and fixedly secured thereto and having pairs of opposedrearwardly projecting flanges, one pair of opposed flanges on saidauxiliary border frame being slotted in alignment with one set of gridbars, and truss bars disposed below such set of grid bars in supportingrelation thereto and having their ends engaging said slots, the reachesof the other set of grid bars having rearwardly projecting integralflanges, another pair of opposed flanges on said auxiliary border frameclosing the space between the outer ends of the grid bar flanges at theends of said other set of grid bars.

ROBERT L. LEIGH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 812,158 Tuttle Feb. 6, 1906 1,117,568 Hart Nov. 1'7, 19141,251,018 Hart Dec. 25, 1917 1,988,728 Green Jan. 22, 1935

